Haley Bosselman on December 2nd, 2020

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Jenny Lewis and rapper Serengeti (David Cohn) today delivered their version of an early Christmas present— a new song called “Unblu.”

The collaboration comes from Lewis’ own label “Loves Way.” She also directed the accompanying, woozy video and produced the song with Andrew Broder. The development of “Unblu” began when the two met in a hallway during the 2018 People Festival in Berlin.

“A fast friendship was born as they skulked about, cracking jokes and chatting about their mutual love for boxing,” the pair explained in a note. After Lewis threw Cohn a show in Nashville, he pleaded, “J, I need seven tracks! Just piano or guitar or whatever!” Lewis wondered if just one would do.

When the pandemic set in, Lewis and Cohn retreated to Los Angeles and Chicago, respectively. Through the power of the iPhone, the two persevered in their collaboration (with, of course, some polishing up by Broder). They describe the result as “music to dance around your living room in a Day-Glo bathing suit to. Music to go bananas to while watching the news and Forensic Files on mute.”

“Unblu” oozes ethereal musings, with Lewis (and later Cohn) wondering, “How long will I wait for you to become unblu?” The distorted video is a Christmastime fever dream set for the age of vertical viewing. Clarification comes in the form of reassurance. They trade off singing, “Baby I been climbing the mountain to your heart. I could’ve sworn I saw a diamond shine in the dark.”

||| Watch: The video for “Unblu”